AT
Allison Turner
Sep 11, 2026
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Some experiences stay with you. This was one of them. ❤️
Today, we brought 20 students from the Berlin Middle School SLC in the Olentangy Local School District to Chipotle to practice real-world independence and community living skills.
What happened was so much more meaningful than simply going out to lunch.
The Chipotle staff welcomed our students with patience, kindness, and genuine respect. They didn’t rush them. They didn’t take over for them. They didn’t make assumptions about what they could or couldn’t do.
Instead, they gave them something incredibly valuable: the opportunity to be independent.
They patiently waited while each student made their own choices, practiced ordering, communicated what they wanted, paid for their meal, and navigated the experience in their own way. When a student needed a little extra time, they gave it. When a student needed encouragement, they gave it. And when our students smiled, laughed, or celebrated their accomplishments, the staff celebrated right alongside them.
You could see the confidence growing.
For some people, ordering lunch at Chipotle may seem like a small, everyday task. For our students, these moments represent independence, confidence, communication, self-advocacy, and belonging in their community.
And today, the Chipotle team made our students feel like they belonged.
They treated our students with the same dignity and respect that every person deserves. They saw the person first, and they created an environment where our students could show everyone what they are capable of.
As educators, we spend so much time teaching our students skills in the classroom. But there is something incredibly powerful about watching those skills come to life in the community — especially when the community welcomes them with open arms.
This was, hands down, our best community outing yet.
To the entire Chipotle team: thank you. Thank you for your patience. Thank you for your smiles. Thank you for laughing with our students. Thank you for allowing them the time and space to be independent. Thank you for making them feel capable, valued, and respected.
You may have simply served 20 students lunch today.
But to us, you helped 20 students practice independence and believe a little more in themselves.
That is something we will never take for granted.
From all of us at Berlin Middle School — thank you for making our students feel seen, included, and empowered. ❤️
This is what inclusion looks like. This is what community looks like. And this is the kind of experience our students deserve.